Method of applying tubular bandages



E. G. HENDRHCK SON ET AL METHOD OF APPLYING TUBULAR BANDAGES Dec 14, 1948.

Filed Oct. 3; 1946 Fig '7.

INVENTORS. G. HENDR/C/YSON.

Erm.

Patented Dec. 14, 1948 METHOD OF APPLYING TUBULAR BANDAGES Emil G. Hendrickson and Fritz La Cour, Lake Charles, La., assignors to The Scholl Mfg. 00., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application October 3, 1946, Serial No. 701,022

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a method of applying a tubular bandage and also to an applicator for use in applying the bandage to a part of the human body, the applicator functioning as an aid in the performance of the method, as will more fully appear from the disclosures hereinafter.

It has now been found more expedient, more satisfactory, and more comfortable to the patients in many cases to bandage an injured portion of the human body with a tubular bandage rather than to wind an elongated gauze ribbon or tape around that portion of the body and thus build up a suitable bandage. Such a tubular bandage is disclosed in the L. Hochman Patent No. 2,326,997, issued August 1'7, 1943. As more fully set forth in that patent, in bandaging a bodily appendage a portion of tubular bandage cut substantially twice as long as necessary to cover the injured part of the body is utilized. A part of this bandage is placed over the afflicted part of the body, and a twist is made in the band- ,age, and then the excess portion of the bandage is retroverted over the .portion already applied to the body, thus making a double thickness bandage having an open or a closed end as may be desired.

Heretofore, it has been objectionably diiiicult to apply such a bandage to a part of the body. Frequently, if the operator were slightly nervous, the work of application was unexpectedly interrupted, or there was already a bandage over the particular injury on the body appendage to be covered by the tubular bandage, some discomfort would be caused due to hesitation in the application, and the application required a greater amount of time and effort than is desirable. It should be understood that such bandages were not always applied by physicians or skilled nurses, but in many cases the bandages are applied by ordinary unskilled laymen, and that is when the difiiculty of application was most objectionable. Perhaps it is for that reason that tubular bandages were not as universally used as they might be expected to be, especially if the application of the bandage is made extremely simple.

with the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a new and novel method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the human body. Another object of this invention is the provi sion of a new and novel method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the human body, with the aid of an applicator.

Figure 8 is a projectional view It is also an object of this invention to provide a new and novel method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body, which method is so simple in operation that an unskilled layman may very readily and effectively apply the bandage, and in fact in most cases the layman will be able to apply the tubular bandage properly and with less effort than he is able to apply substantially any other type of bandage.

Still a further object of this invention resides in a new and novel method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body, the practice of the method resulting in an extremely quick application of the bandage and with no discomfort whatever to the patient during the application of the bandage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an applicator for applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of an applicator for applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body, with the applicator so constructed as to facilitate holding the bandage upon the applicator prior to and during the initial part of the application, and which applicator is also constructed to painlessly performs its function of applying the bandage.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others Will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a projectional view of an applicator;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan View of a tubular bandage;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the bandage of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is fragmentary composite View illustrating the applicator and bandage in association with the human finger in an early stage of application of the bandage;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary composite view show ing a later step in the application of the bandage;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary composite View illustrating the final step in the application of the bandage;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view illustrating the applied bandage upon the finger of a patient with the applicator entirely removed; and

of an applicator of slightly different form.

As shown on the drawings: By way of example and not by way of limitation,

my novel method and applicator have been illus trated as applying a tubular bandage to a human finger. Thus, the applicator shown is of a size to fit over a human finger. In the event a bandage is to be applied to a toe, a shorter applicator may be used, as well as a shorter bandage. Likewise, if atubular bandage is to be applied 'over the foot, the entire diaznd prarm, a leg, or some other part of the body, it is to be understood that an applicator and bandage of appropriate size will,

be utilized.

As seen more clearly in Fig. 1, the applicator itself may be simply a U-shaped member including a pair of arms i and 2 extending from a connecting yoke 3. relationship and as seen are preferably concaveconvex to better fit a finger or other part of the human body. In the illustrated instance, the arms are each externally convex and internally concave, Preferably, the free end portions of the arms are flared. .In the instance of Fig. l, the arms are flared outwardly as indicated at 4. 'lfnat is, these free ends of the arms are given a slight added divergence so as to better enable the applicator to slip over the Lfinger of a patient Without discomfort "to the patient. Y

The applicator may be :made of any suitable material such as metal, a plastic, a composition, or any other material that is preferably light weight, and preferably very'smooth.

The bandage, indicated by numeral 5, is preferably a continuous tubular bandage. .A satisfactory substance for the bandage is soft cotton gauze, tubular knit-ted. Obviously the bandage maybe made :of various sizes and'various lengths, depending upon what part of the body .it is: to

cover.

Now, let it :be assumed that a finger has been burned, out, or otherwise injured, and it is desired to cover that finger at least past the second joint with .a suitable bandage. It will be understood, of course, that the instant invention may The arms are in confronting be used to apply a bandage to any portion of the v finger, but we have selected a relatively long bandage reaching past the second joint of the finger in order to more adequately set forth the invention.

A bandage substantially twice as long as needed to once cover the finger is selected and threaded upon the applicator as illustrated in Fig. 4. The entire bandage is threaded upon the applicator, which of course necessitates a buckling or wrinkling of the bandage in order to get it all upon the applicator, and until. application to the finger the flared ends 44 of the arms I and 2 aid .in

keeping the bandage properly upon the applicator. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the'applicator carrying the bandage is then slipped over the finger 6. The inner end of the bandage may then beheld against the finger, and the applicator slipped off the finger carrying the remainder of the bandage therewith. The illustration in Fig. 4 discloses the applicator after it has been placed upon the finger, and after the removal movement has been started.

The applicator is then pulled entirely ofi the finger to the position seen in Fig. 5, in which case the finger will be covered by a portion of the bandage, and the applicator will retain another portion of the bandage thereon, with a part of the bandage being free between the end of the finger and the applicator, The applicator is then turned relatively to the finger to provide-a twist l in that portion of the bandage between the finger and the applicator. Next, the applicator is 4 again slipped over the finger and the part of the bandage already on the finger as indicated in Fig. 6. By virtue of the twist I, this second application of the applicator causes the portion of the bandage then on the applicator to be retroverted over the portion of the bandage on the finger and simultaneously stripped from the applicator. Fig/'6 illustrates the applicator just before completing the second applying movement. Fig. 7

illustrates the complete bandage upon the finger after the applicator has been removed after its second application.

' Briefly, with reference to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, it will be noted that the first application and removal or the applicator to the finger leaves a portion :50: of the bandage on the finger, and a portion 5b on the applicator. The twist I is made between these portions. The second application of the applicator retroverts the portion 51) of the bandage over the portion 5a and frees portion 51) from the applicator. When the bandage is fully applied as in Fig. 7, the portion 5h overlies the portion 5a and a double bandage covers the .finger. This bandage is extremely flexible, permits the finger to bend freely if the injury permits that action, and efiectively protects the finger.

It will be understood that While the description of the method of applying the bandage may be rather lengthy, the actual application of the bandage to the finger may be accomplished in -a very small fraction oi a minute. If desired, asmall piece of adhesive tape, or two of them, may be afi'ixed to the finger andthe inner ends of the bandage to insure that the bandage will remain properly upon the finger, especially when the hand is thrust into a pocket or the like.

The bandage may be varied in its character to some extent. For example, if the twist 1 results from only a quarter turn, the end of the finger will be exposed after application of the bandage. If the twist 1 results from a half to three-quarters of a turn, the end of the finger will be covered by the bandage when applied. In addition, it will be noted that the exposure of the end. of the finger may likewise be controlled by the closeness of the applicator to the end of the finger at the time the twist is made. 'If the applicator is too close to effect a definite twisting of the bandage between the applicator and the finger tip, obviously the finger tip will be exposed after the bandage is fully applied. In some instances, also, it may be desirable to additionally protect the finger tip if the injury is there. To this .end, the bandage may be given a twist resulting from .sev- .eral complete turns with a depth of space between the applicator and the finger tip, and then when. the bandage is fully applied there will be a twisted portion of bandage overlying the finger tip to function as a cushion against pressure or bumps upon the finger tip. In this manner, several different applications of the bandage may be provided with only a negligible difference in the .mode of operation. It should also be noted that the instant method may be practiced by even an unskilled layman and a substantially perfect bandage application will result.

In Fig. 8, I have illustrated a slightly different form of applicator. This applicator is also .substantially U-shaped including a pair of arms. .8 and 9 with the yoke portion 1.0. .Inthisinstance, however, the arms are flared circumferentially at their free ends as indicated at .l |--H and they are. not divergent at these .ends. The end portions I l-- l l circumscribe the finger or other portion of the body to a greater extent. thanado. the

5 remainder of the arms, and these ends likewise aid in holding the bandage in position upon the applicator just prior to application. Otherwise the applicator of Fig. 8 functions in the same manner as the applicator of Fig. 1.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that we have provided a novel and highly useful method for applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body, as well as an applicator highly suitable for the practice of that method. By virtue of the instant invention, a highly satisfactory bandage may be applied by even an unskilled layman with much greater rapidity and with considerably less eifort than a bandage of substantially any character could be applied heretofore.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. The method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body with the aid of an applicator shaped to slidingly embrace the part of the body to be bandaged, including the steps of threading a substantially double length bandage on the applicator, passing the applicator over a part of the body, holding the adjacent end of the bandage to the body part while drawing oil the applicator with substantially half the bandage still thereon, turning the applicator to twist the bandage between the applicator and body part, and then reapplying the applicator to the body part to retrovert the remainder of the bandage over the portion first applied to the body part.

2. The method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body with the aid of an applicator shaped to slidingly embrace the part of the body to be bandaged, including the steps of threading a substantially double length bandage on the applicator, passing the applicator over a part of the body, holding the adjacent end of the bandage to the body part while drawing off the applicator with substantially half the bandage still thereon, turning the applicator to twist the bandage, a plurality of turns between the applicator and body part, and then reapplying the applicator to the body part to retrovert the remainder of the bandage over the twisted portion and the portion first applied to the body part to thus provide a cushion inside the bandage at the extremity of the body part.

3. The method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body with the aid of an applicator shaped to slidingly engage the part of the body to be bandaged, including the steps of threading an extra long bandage on the applicator, applying the applicator lengthwise of the body part, holding the inner end of the bandage to the body part while removing the applicator with a part of the bandage still thereon, turning the applicator to twist the bandage between the applicator and body part, reapplying the applicator to the body part to retrovert the remainder of the bandage over the portion previously applied, and removing the applicator now free of bandage leaving the entire bandage on the body part.

4. The method of applying a tubular bandage to a part of the body with the aid of an applicator shaped to slidingly engage the part of the body to be bandaged, including the steps of threading an extra long bandage on the applicator, slipping the applicator over the body part and then withdrawing it to leave a portion of the bandage on the body part, and then reapplying the applicator to retrovert the remainder of the bandage over that previously applied.

EMIL G. HENDRICKSON. FRITZ LA COUR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 237,949 Batcheller Feb. 22, 1881 1,375,690 George April 26, 1921 2,326,997 Hochman Aug. 17, 1943 

